The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast

In this episode, host Michelle Pascoe explores why community matters more than ever with Natalie Hawkins, Community Projects Manager at Cronulla RSL. Together, they unpack how connection, belonging, and local support networks have become essential in a post-COVID world — especially as loneliness rises across all generations.

Natalie shares how Cronulla RSL has transformed from a traditional veterans club into a vibrant hub for micro-communities, support groups, veterans, defence families and locals seeking genuine connection. From the Service Recognition Card to War Animal Day and Trees of Hope, the club is redefining what modern community building looks like.

This episode covers:

• How post-COVID micro-communities are reshaping the Shire

• How Cronulla RSL supports veterans through innovative programs

• The rising loneliness epidemic and how clubs provide safety + connection

• How clubs stay relevant across six generations

• Creative community initiatives: Trees of Hope, War Animal Day + more

• The future of community engagement in the Sutherland Shire

LINKS & RESOURCES

Follow Cronulla RSL Community on Social Media

www.instagram.com/cronullarslcommunity

www.youtube.com/@CronullaRSLMemorialClub

Visit the Cronulla RSL community hub

• Weight of War Run: https://www.cronullarslcommunity.com.au/news/weightofwar25

• Trees of Hope: https://www.cronullarslcommunity.com.au/treesofhope

• War Animal Day:  https://www.cronullarslcommunity.com.au/waranimalday

• War Dogs: https://www.cronullarslcommunity.com.au/wardogs

• Service Recognition:  https://www.cronullarslcommunity.com.au/news/servicerecogntioncard

For more weekly insights on leadership, customer service, and community, SUBSCRIBE to the podcast. Or visit our WEBSITE for more information on our leadership development and customer service programs.

Are you struggling to step back without losing control?

In this episode, Michelle breaks down the three pillars of scalable leadership, drawing on November’s conversations with industry leaders Sophie Paviour, Mark Condi and Chris Miller.

You’ll learn why clarity, capability and systems are the real engines behind consistent performance, sustainable growth and confident leadership.

Michelle shares practical ways to delegate without fear, elevate middle management, reduce firefighting, and build a team who think, decide and lead — not just follow instructions.

In this episode, Michelle covers:

• Why “I can’t step back” is really a clarity problem
• How to delegate thinking — not just tasks — to grow leaders
• Why frontline staff often see risks earlier than executives
• The Clarity Equation: Vision + Values + Behaviours + Boundaries
• The power of early stretch opportunities
• Why middle management is the biggest bottleneck and the breakthrough point

Next Steps + Resources

👉 Subscribe on YouTube and your favourite podcast platform; https://www.michellepascoe.com/The-Michelle-Pascoe-Hospitality-Podcast
👉 Join Michelle’s newsletter for weekly leadership tools; https://www.michellepascoe.com/blog
👉 Work with Michelle — Middle Management Movement & bespoke customer service programs; https://www.michellepascoe.com/traininganddevelopmentprograms

About Michelle

Michelle Pascoe helps organisations grow powerful middle managers, build consistent service cultures and develop capable leaders at every level. Her programs support CEOs and senior leaders ready to step back from daily operations and lead with clarity, confidence and structure.

Connect with Michelle across her website and social platforms to explore workshops, consulting, and the Middle Management Movement; https://www.michellepascoe.com/

This week marks a very special moment — 300 episodes of The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast. We are truly grateful to every single person who has tuned in, shared an episode, subscribed, or joined us as a guest. Your support has kept this show growing, evolving and reaching leaders across the hospitality industry. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

In this milestone conversation, Michelle sits down with Mark Condi, CEO of Duxton Pubs, to explore how one of Australia’s fastest-growing pub groups continues to scale while protecting the soul of each local venue.

Mark shares his journey from duty manager to CEO, what he learned from Merivale, and how Duxton is navigating the challenges of talent, culture, technology and customer expectations. His insights on leadership communication, empowerment and community connection are especially powerful.

Here’s to 300 episodes — and to the incredible community that made it possible.

Resources & Links

• Visit the Duxton Pubs website: https://www.duxtonpubs.com/
• Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, generational insights, and building thriving hospitality teams: https://www.michellepascoe.com/The-Michelle-Pascoe-Hospitality-Podcast

In this inspiring episode of The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast, Michelle Pascoe sits down with Sophie Paviour, Associate Product Manager at Aristocrat Gaming, to explore how a new generation of women is redefining leadership in the gaming and hospitality industry.

From starting as a gaming attendant at 18 to joining Aristocrat’s APAC Future Leader Program, Sophie shares how early lessons, mentorship, and her “stage lights” mindset shaped her path — and the two career rules she lives by: build your network and stay humble.

💡 In this episode:
• Why every role — even reception — builds your leadership foundation
• How resilience from dance shaped Sophie’s confidence and focus
• The career-defining lessons from the APAC Future Leader Program
• Two timeless tips every emerging leader needs to hear

👉 Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, generational insights, and building thriving hospitality teams: https://www.michellepascoe.com/The-Michelle-Pascoe-Hospitality-Podcast

In this episode, host Michelle Pascoe sits down with global crisis and risk management expert Christine Miller. Together, they unpack how CEOs and executives can close the “leadership gap” by transforming uncertainty into strategic opportunity.

Drawing on decades of global work with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and emergency services, Christine reveals how empowering your mid-level leaders to assess and manage risk protects your brand, culture, and bottom line.

Michelle and Christine discuss:

• The real leadership gap — how excluding middle managers from risk decisions weakens organisations
• Crisis-tested lessons from Christine’s global disaster work with governments and corporations
• Why proactive risk management fuels innovation, culture, and trust
• The role of AI in risk, resilience, and real-time decision-making
• Practical steps to embed “risk thinking” in leadership systems

Resources & Links

• Contact Chris directly: chris@b4crisis.com.au
• Access Risk & Risk Management resources: RMIA.org.au 

Work With Michelle

Michelle Pascoe helps hospitality, tourism, and service-based leaders build resilient, empowered teams that thrive in change. Explore her Leadership Development Programs, Customer Experience Training, and Keynote Speaking at michellepascoe.com.

In this episode, Michelle Pascoe — hospitality trainer and mystery shopping expert — reveals why mystery shopping is the most honest, confronting, and powerful feedback your business will ever receive.

Learn how to see your business through your customer’s eyes, balance AI data with human emotion, and turn every piece of feedback into action that boosts loyalty, consistency, and connection.

Michelle shares real stories from Tracy Sheen, Emily Stanton, Janice Laraine, and Nathan Toleman — four leaders redefining hospitality with courage, purpose, and empathy.

💬 Key Takeaways

• Mystery shopping isn’t about compliance — it’s about connection
• Customers forgive mistakes when empathy follows quickly
• Feedback is fuel, not fire — use it to build trust
• “Fixing friction frees the magic” of great service

🔗 Links & Resources

• Subscribe: The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & YouTube –> https://www.michellepascoe.com/The-Michelle-Pascoe-Hospitality-Podcast
• Join: Middle Management Movement –> https://www.michellepascoe.com/middlemanagementmovementleadership
• Book: Customer Service Excellence & Engagement Workshop –> https://www.michellepascoe.com/frontlinetrainingprograms
• Commission: a Tailored Mystery Shopping Report for your venue –> https://www.michellepascoe.com/mystery-shopping
• Newsletter: Join for Michelle’s free weekly insights on leadership and customer service excellence –> https://www.michellepascoe.com/blog

What happens when one of Australia’s most successful café creators trades profit for purpose?

In this inspiring episode, Michelle sits down with Nathan Toleman, founder of Melbourne’s Mulberry Group—the visionary behind Top Paddock, Higher Ground, and The Kettle Black.

Nathan shares how he transformed his hospitality empire into a purpose-driven movement through the Common Ground Project, a social enterprise connecting food, community, and sustainability. Discover how he built iconic venues, redefined café culture, and created long-term impact beyond the plate.

In this episode, Michelle and Nathan unpack:

• How to lead with purpose in hospitality
• The business systems behind café profitability
• Turning passion into sustainable impact
• The future of leadership, wellbeing, and AI in hospitality

Whether you’re a business owner, leader, or creative visionary, this episode will inspire you to align your success with something greater.

• Learn more about Common Ground Project → https://www.commongroundproject.com.au/
• Work with Nathan via Mulberry Partners → https://mulberrypartners.com.au/
• Subscribe to Michelle’s newsletter for leadership and service excellence insights → https://www.michellepascoe.com/blog
• Discover more episodes with leading entrepreneurs and hospitality innovators → https://www.michellepascoe.com/The-Michelle-Pascoe-Hospitality-Podcast

In this episode, Michelle speaks with Janice Laraine, founder of MADM Co, a hospitality-focused brand studio redefining luxury through emotional intelligence. Together, they explore how Hospitality EQ — Janice’s framework for emotionally intelligent design — is changing the way boutique hotels, short-term rentals, and service brands create trust and connection.

If you lead teams in hospitality or service industries, this conversation will inspire you to shift from transactional to transformational guest experiences.

This episode covers:

• Why aesthetics alone no longer create loyalty in hospitality
• The three-part brand journey that drives emotional connection
• How to embed Hospitality EQ into every guest touchpoint
• Empowering staff to deliver service with intuition, not scripts
• The real meaning of luxury: presence, connection, and care

Next Steps + Resources
📘 Download Janice’s free Hospitality EQ Scorecard: www.madm.co/scorecard

🌐 Visit the MADM Co. website: https://madm.co/

Work with Michelle Pascoe

Michelle Pascoe helps registered clubs and hospitality leaders build emotionally intelligent middle managers who create extraordinary member and guest experiences. Through Mystery Shopping, Customer Service Excellence Workshops, and the flagship Middle Management Movement, Michelle empowers organisations to strengthen culture, improve performance, and grow loyalty from the inside out.

👉 Learn more at https://www.michellepascoe.com/traininganddevelopmentprograms

In this inspiring episode, Michelle sits down with Emily Stanton, winner of the 2024 NSW Outstanding Young Business Leader Award and co-owner of the newly revived Nyngan Hotel in central-west New South Wales.

Emily shares the extraordinary story of restoring a pub closed for 40 years — balancing business growth, family life, and community spirit. From tackling staffing shortages and budget blowouts to mastering authentic leadership and social media storytelling, this episode is packed with lessons for anyone in hospitality or regional business.

You’ll learn:

• The business mindset behind reviving a historic building
• How to lead and retain teams in rural Australia
• What authenticity and transparency really look like in leadership
• Why social media storytelling builds connection and loyalty

Resources & Links

🌐 Website: ⁠thenynganhotel.com.au⁠
📸 Instagram: ⁠@thenyngan⁠
📘 Facebook: ⁠facebook.com/thenyngan⁠

Join Michelle’s newsletter for weekly hospitality leadership and customer service insights; michellepascoe.com/blog

Tune into other episodes of The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast; https://www.michellepascoe.com/The-Michelle-Pascoe-Hospitality-Podcast

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Tracy Sheen — award-winning author of AI & U, digital guide, and professional speaker — to unpack exactly how AI is transforming the way local businesses operate.

With more than 30 years’ experience helping small businesses adopt digital tools, Tracy shares how AI can:

• Automate repetitive admin tasks like rostering & stock control
• Personalise loyalty programs and enhance customer experience
• Unlock smarter marketing strategies — even on tight budgets
• Turn customer feedback into real business growth
• Support staff by acting as a collaborator, not a competitor

You’ll also hear real-world examples of how venues are already using AI — from a coffee van in regional Queensland creating new revenue streams, to clubs and restaurants improving loyalty with personalised offers and smarter Wi-Fi.

Tracy also explains why the fear of AI replacing jobs is misplaced, and how leaders can instead use it to empower teams, improve efficiency, and deepen community connection.

This episode is packed with practical tools like Canva, Guidde, Tango, and Notebook LM — simple, affordable ways to bring AI into your venue today.

🔗 Resources & Links

• Get Tracy’s book AI & You: https://aiandu.com.au
• Tracy’s speaker site: https://tracysheen.com
• The Digital Guide: https://thedigitalguide.com.au

Next Steps

• Follow the podcast for new weekly episodes: https://www.michellepascoe.com/The-Michelle-Pascoe-Hospitality-Podcast
• Join Michelle’s newsletter for hospitality leadership & customer service insights: https://www.michellepascoe.com/blog
• Work with Michelle: https://www.michellepascoe.com/traininganddevelopmentprograms